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This webpage reproduces an appendix in History of the Ukraine By Dmytro Doroshenko printed by The Institute Press, Ltd. Edmonton, Alberta, 1939 The text is in the public domain. This page has been carefully proofread and I believe it to be free of errors. If you find a mistake though, please let me know!

 p656  Appendix A

 * * * *

Note Regarding Recent Developments
in Europe and the Ukraine

In the time between the preparation of this manuscript by Prof. Doroshenko and its present publication, momentous events have transpired in Central Europe affecting the Ukrainian people. The opening pages of the book describing the distribution of the Ukrainian people among the European states must be brought up to date. It was felt that a brief summary of events of 1938‑39 should be included in this volume.

The Munich Conference of Sept. 29th, 1938, attended by Herr Hitler, Mr. Chamberlain, M. Daladier and Signor Mussolini, resulted in an agreement to reconstruct the Czecho-Slovak state. There followed the annexation to Germany of the Sudeten areas and the granting of autonomy to Slovakia and Ruthenia. The latter was now called Carpatho-Ukraine. It had its own administration at the head of which was Augustin Voloshyn, a priest of the Uniate Church and a well-known Ukrainian leader. Hungary put forth claims to the southern part of the area. The matter was left to the decision of the two Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Italy. The result of this so‑called arbitration announced on Nov. 2nd was the awarding of a southern strip of the country, including the two chief towns and administrative centres, Uzhorod and Mukachiv to Hungary. Thereupon the capital of Carpatho-Ukraine was established at Khust. In spite of the difficult situation created by this partition which deprived the state of the southern fertile strip of land and of railway communications with the rest of Czecho-Slovakia, the government and the population set about the vigorous reorganization of the country on its new national basis. News of the formation of an autonomous Ukrainian state, however small, called forth extraordinary enthusiasm among the Ukrainian people in Europe and America.

 p657 There still remained certain difficulties of adjustment with the central government at Prague. Nevertheless, a national Diet had been elected and the administration had received an overwhelming vote of confidence. In view of a swiftly approaching crisis, the Diet was summoned to meet on March 15th, 1939. That very day Germany sent its troops into Bohemia and by its action dissolved the Czecho-Slovak state. The previous day the Hungarian government had demanded that Carpatho-Ukraine should be evacuated by Czech troops within twenty-four hours. When the Carpatho-Ukrainian Diet met it proclaimed the complete independence of the country. But Hungarians were even then crossing the borders, and in spite of desperate resistance on the part of Ukrainian volunteers the country was over‑run and annexed by Hungary.

The international situation became increasingly tense in the summer months of 1939, due to the imminence of war between Germany and Poland. Great Britain gave a guarantee of help to Poland in the matter of maintaining its independence. This was meant to put a stop to German aggression in the East. The Germans, however, signed a non‑aggression pact with Russia on Aug. 23rd, 1939, and increased their pressure on Poland. In view of the Polish treatment during the previous twenty years the Ukrainians had little cause to be grateful to the Poles; but the menace of German imperialism and the even darker shadow of Soviet oppression looming in the background, induced the Ukrainian leaders to declare they would stand with Poland in the impending struggle.

The "lightning‑war" begun by Germany in the East on Sept. 1st, 1939, brought about the collapse of Poland. Polish resistance was made even more hopeless by the advance of Russian troops into East Poland. A further agreement between the Soviet Union and Germany on Sept. 29th, 1939, provided for the definite partition of Poland between the two states. To the Soviet Union fell the White Russian and Ukrainian section of Poland, with the exception of a few districts of the latter. With the  p658 exception of these Ukrainians in Poland, for the present under Germany, and of half a million Ukrainians in Carpatho-Ukraine now under Hungary, and about a million Ukrainians in Rumania, the Ukrainian people in Europe are under communist Russia. A heavy fog of propaganda and censor­ship conceals their fate.

The Ukrainian National Question has not yet been solved. The proper solution must form part of any permanent peace settlement in Europe. Whether the principle of freedom and the rights of nations to live their own life can be maintained in the modern world is now being decided on the high seas and the battle fields of Europe; wrapped up in the issue is the future of the Ukraine.

— The Editor.

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